Like so many of us who've experienced loss, the effect is rarely the same, from one person to the next. Granted, the "history" behind the loss has a great bearing on how one deals with their loss.

This book examines different types of loss amongst members of the same family. It is also starts out in the fifties when the moral expectations were often more upheld, no matter what culture you belonged to. We have two brothers on quite divergent paths, we have their mother, who seems to favour one son over the other, we have the woman who has a relationship with both brothers and a young girl who's caught up in the fray as well (can't say too much without having spoilers). They all deal with some sort of loss and we find out in the book, how it affects them over the long term.

Suffice it to say that there are strong differences in culture, from what I grew up with and what is expected in India! I just know that how this all played out was not only interesting but believable. The book is not what I would consider cheerful, but there it's not overly morose either.

I've not read any of this author's writing before this book, but will likely seek out more, as I understand from other reviews that this work is not necessarily her best. It is very good though, worth the read!